# The Gerbil Has Landed



## Sisyphus (Oct 9, 2005)

Yeah, time to pay a visit to this side of the proverbial slope, armed with a couple sticks each of:

Bolivar Royal Corona
Cohiba Siglo VI
H. Upmann Magnum 46
Montecristo #2
Ramon Allones Specially Selected
Vegas Robaina Famosos

Do I have the willpower to resist just one OTT tonight? What should it be? :ss

POST 100 (took me nearly 2 years 'cuz I like to take things real slow)

-Ken


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## Dzrtrat (Oct 9, 2006)

Smoke the RASS, smoke the RASS. :chk


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## mash (Jul 24, 2007)

What a fabulous selection of sticks. Enjoy them.


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## Lanthor (Jun 16, 2007)

I'm on my way, be there in 2 hours.


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## BigVito (Jan 1, 2000)

Vegas Robaina Famosos


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## j6ppc (Jun 5, 2006)

Just pick one and smoke it 'cos you can't resist.
Let the rest sleep a month or so.

Enjoy.


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## Sisyphus (Oct 9, 2005)

Dzrtrat said:


> Smoke the RASS, smoke the RASS. :chk


I'm leaning towards the RASS (holding one unlit in my hand, actually). These are real beauts, feel solid as can be, a shade lighter in color than I would have thought, smells, well, can't smell much there. But yeah, I'm pretty sure this baby is getting torched tonight! Heh!

-Ken


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## Mister Moo (Sep 8, 2005)

Very nice selections, Si's. 



You have chosen wisely.


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## Boston_Dude05 (Oct 10, 2006)

Wow, that is very well armed indeed. :dr


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## Fishbeadtwo (May 30, 2006)

Smoke the Royal Corona and let me know how it is/was. Been dieing to get a box for the coming winter......


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## Coffee Grounds (Feb 14, 2007)

Go with the Cohiba and enjoy the best


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## newcigarz (Feb 11, 2007)

Nice selection. Congrats!:tu


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## Sisyphus (Oct 9, 2005)

I went with the RASS. It was utterly incredible. I've never had my tongue teased and tastebuds tantalized quite like this before. Perfect draw, slow burn, oodles of smoke, refined, exceptionally well-balanced and downright awesome from first puff down to the last half inch. Perhaps the finest cigar overall that I've ever experienced. Wow. After reading reviews, I kind of expected more kick, but buzz or no buzz, this was one fantastic cigar and is at the top of my list as of this moment, If these cigars are consistent, we have a big winner here.

:tu:tu:tu:tu:tu

-Ken


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## havana_lover (Feb 15, 2007)

glad to hear that you liked your first.. 

I have some of these in my humi, thinking of getting a box now..


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## Boston_Dude05 (Oct 10, 2006)

Sisyphus said:


> I went with the RASS. It was utterly incredible. I've never had my tongue teased and tastebuds tantalized quite like this before. Perfect draw, slow burn, oodles of smoke, refined, exceptionally well-balanced and downright awesome from first puff down to the last half inch. Perhaps the finest cigar overall that I've ever experienced. Wow. After reading reviews, I kind of expected more kick, but buzz or no buzz, this was one fantastic cigar and is at the top of my list as of this moment, If these cigars are consistent, we have a big winner here.
> 
> :tu:tu:tu:tu:tu
> 
> -Ken


Glad you liked it! Heading down the slope in a big way now o


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## FlyerFanX (Feb 20, 2007)

Sisyphus said:


> I went with the RASS. It was utterly incredible. I've never had my tongue teased and tastebuds tantalized quite like this before. Perfect draw, slow burn, oodles of smoke, refined, exceptionally well-balanced and downright awesome from first puff down to the last half inch. Perhaps the finest cigar overall that I've ever experienced. Wow. After reading reviews, I kind of expected more kick, but buzz or no buzz, this was one fantastic cigar and is at the top of my list as of this moment, If these cigars are consistent, we have a big winner here.
> 
> :tu:tu:tu:tu:tu
> 
> -Ken


RASS are smoking nice now - the Boli RC would have been a good choice too. Glad you enjoyed!!! :ss


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## Smokey Bob (Dec 26, 2006)

All of you should be ashamed of yourselves... teasing me like this.

I can just see you guys. Hanging out in your walnut paneled smoking rooms, sitting in your overstuffed leather chairs, eating huge shrimp and squealing _smoke the boli, smoke the RASS, smoke the Cohiba _as you discard the tails of your shrimp in the cleavage of buxom Swedish bikini clad girls.

It just pisses me off!


Robert:ss


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## Sisyphus (Oct 9, 2005)

Smokey Bob said:


> I can just see you guys. Hanging out in your walnut paneled smoking rooms, sitting in your overstuffed leather chairs, eating huge shrimp and squealing _smoke the boli, smoke the RASS, smoke the Cohiba _as you discard the tails of your shrimp in the cleavage of buxom Swedish bikini clad girls.


:r

Yep, life is good.

-Ken


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## muziq (Mar 14, 2005)

Smokey Bob said:


> ...eating huge shrimp and squealing _smoke the boli, smoke the RASS, smoke the Cohiba _as you discard the tails of your shrimp in the cleavage of buxom Swedish bikini clad girls.


DOOD...you know you can go to jail for peeping in my house like that, don't you? :ss

If only...:c


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## FlyerFanX (Feb 20, 2007)

Smokey Bob said:


> All of you should be ashamed of yourselves... teasing me like this.
> 
> I can just see you guys. Hanging out in your walnut paneled smoking rooms, sitting in your overstuffed leather chairs, eating huge shrimp and squealing _smoke the boli, smoke the RASS, smoke the Cohiba _as you discard the tails of your shrimp in the cleavage of buxom Swedish bikini clad girls.
> 
> ...


Alright - who told???


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## Navydoc (Jan 26, 2005)

I tend to think the VR Fam's smoke better young over the RASS. You should try that one next.


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## croatan (Mar 23, 2005)

Navydoc said:


> I tend to think the VR Fam's smoke better young over the RASS. You should try that one next.


I agree. People rave about young RASS, but I just don't get it. I had an '05 last night--figured it was about time to try one again and see if all the other boring ones I had were a coincidence--and, again, I was disappointed.

Famosos, on the other hand :tu


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## Blueface (May 28, 2005)

croatan said:


> I agree. People rave about young RASS, but I just don't get it. I had an '05 last night--figured it was about time to try one again and see if all the other boring ones I had were a coincidence--and, again, I was disappointed.
> 
> Famosos, on the other hand :tu


I guess the 07/06 box I am sitting on is going to need quite a bit of more sitting on it.
Glad I haven't tried them yet.


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## Sisyphus (Oct 9, 2005)

croatan said:


> People rave about young RASS, but I just don't get it. I had an '05 last night--figured it was about time to try one again and see if all the other boring ones I had were a coincidence--and, again, I was disappointed.


Unfortunately, I really have no way of telling the age of the loose sticks I received. Maybe I just got lucky, which is one reason I'm always hesitant to order _anything_ in larger quantities.

Along these lines, the magical act of smoking "the best cigar you've ever experienced" is a unique event which cannot be duplicated at will or captured in a box. Merely smoking another, identical cigar, can be disappointing because unless it is significantly better than the first, it can never be another "best cigar you've ever experienced." Been there, done that, and all you have is a memory and a box of cigars as a souvenir.

The cigars are _still_ fantastic, but the quest continues. Heh!

-Ken


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## Gordie (Dec 31, 2005)

BigVito said:


> Vegas Robaina Famosos


:tpd:

Good call.


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## BigVito (Jan 1, 2000)

Gordie said:


> :tpd:
> 
> Good call.


:tu maybe DonWeb would chime in here.


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## Dzrtrat (Oct 9, 2006)

Sisyphus said:


> I went with the RASS. It was utterly incredible. I've never had my tongue teased and tastebuds tantalized quite like this before. Perfect draw, slow burn, oodles of smoke, refined, exceptionally well-balanced and downright awesome from first puff down to the last half inch. Perhaps the finest cigar overall that I've ever experienced. Wow. After reading reviews, I kind of expected more kick, but buzz or no buzz, this was one fantastic cigar and is at the top of my list as of this moment, If these cigars are consistent, we have a big winner here.
> 
> :tu:tu:tu:tu:tu
> 
> -Ken


SSSSeeeeee I told you, now go smoke something else. :chk <- (I hate this chicken)


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## Sisyphus (Oct 9, 2005)

The RASS was a hard act to follow but this morning I lit up a *Vegas Robaina Famoso*. Starting right out, it had sort of an earthy-sweetness and subtle spice -- a flavor all its own, which took me a few puffs to attune to. The first 1/3rd continued along these lines and I noticed it literally made my mouth water (in a good way). The second 1/3rd, more honey-like sweetness developed, without any real "twang," just sweet tobacco and spice and maybe a vegetal note here and there. Plenty of flavor and smoke but never overpowering. The final 1/3rd, the sweetness diminished and the flavor flattened, leather, tobacco, still good but nothing exceptional -- and unfortunately the thing turned bitter towards the end.

A little age might smooth out the rough edges but this was still a very nice smoke. Nevertheless, I'm probably just as happy with a Padilla Miami or any number of other NCs. The RASS still rules at this point.

-Ken


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## BigVito (Jan 1, 2000)

thats cool, I still prefer the caramel sweetness of VR Famoso


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## Sisyphus (Oct 9, 2005)

To follow up, tonight I smoked the *Boli RC*. The Boli started off spicier than either the RASS or famosa but soon settled into an oh-so-rich, punchy but well-rounded tobacco flavor. The burn was lopsided throughout the first half, with the wrapper in places seeming almost burn-proof. But the cigar smoked just fine regardless and managed to straighten itself out by the 2nd half. The finish was wonderfully climactic and good to the very end. While the flavors didn't change dramatically, there was enough complexity and subtle changes to keep things interesting the whole way. Not a sweet cigar, but some sweetness came to the surface towards the end.

The Boli is no doubt the boldest and "strongest" of the three C cigars I've tried so far. I like 'em that way, especially when the mood stikes. There is a certain _je ne sais quoi_ about this cigar that is very elusive. I'll be coming back to this one again, or at least I want to try some other Bolivars (suggestions?). Outstanding cigar and hard to think of a NC equivalent.

:tu:tu:tu

-Ken


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## Sisyphus (Oct 9, 2005)

Back again, just finished a *Cohiba Siglo VI*. Oh, sweet heavens, what a tasty cigar! Peachy citrus and wood with a nice, mellow, savory tang. Just the faintest hint of an underlying herbal something -- hell if I know -- it was really good. The burn was spot on and the draw couldn't have been much better. I suspect a year or two of seasoning may improve the quality of these guys even further.

The price of the Siglos was nearly double that of any other sticks in my initial CC arsenal. The Siglo was exceptional, and perhaps a notch better than the BRC -- but was it TWICE as good as the BRC? No, it wasn't. Was the Siglo TWICE as good as the Famoso? Well yes, to me it was (I wasn't so crazy about the Famoso). With age, who knows? But OTT, the RASS is still number one on my hit parade. Four down, two to go: still have the Mag46 and MC2 to look forward to!

:ss

-Ken


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## Sisyphus (Oct 9, 2005)

This afternoon I lit up a *Mag46*. It was ok, sort of. It was either not quite ready for prime time or not rolled properly. The flavors were consistent throughout, varying only in intensity somewhat. Little development, lack of depth and the draw was too tight for the first half, which was a bit surprising considering how loosely it was rolled. Construction-wise, it held together barely and burned evenly enough but became so soft and mushy that the cap tended to collapse and close in on itself. My remaining Mag46 seems a lot more solid, so perhaps I just got a bad stick. It's probably not really fair to make any final judgements from this one trial.

-Ken


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## MeNimbus (Dec 18, 2006)

Monte #2 if you haven't tried it yet. BRC has a metallic taste while young.


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## RobinCoppell (Apr 7, 2007)

Sisyphus said:


> Back again, just finished a *Cohiba Siglo VI*. Oh, sweet heavens, what a tasty cigar! Peachy citrus and wood with a nice, mellow, savory tang. Just the faintest hint of an underlying herbal something -- hell if I know -- it was really good. The burn was spot on and the draw couldn't have been much better. I suspect a year or two of seasoning may improve the quality of these guys even further.
> 
> The price of the Siglos was nearly double that of any other sticks in my initial CC arsenal. The Siglo was exceptional, and perhaps a notch better than the BRC -- but was it TWICE as good as the BRC? No, it wasn't. Was the Siglo TWICE as good as the Famoso? Well yes, to me it was (I wasn't so crazy about the Famoso). With age, who knows? But OTT, the RASS is still number one on my hit parade. Four down, two to go: still have the Mag46 and MC2 to look forward to!
> 
> ...


Good for me, I'm a Famoso whore, I guess it all depends on what hits your sweet spot.


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## BigVito (Jan 1, 2000)

RobinCoppell said:


> Good for me, I'm a Famoso whore, I guess it all depends on what hits your sweet spot.


:tpd:


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## Sisyphus (Oct 9, 2005)

RobinCoppell said:


> Good for me, I'm a Famoso whore, I guess it all depends on what hits your sweet spot.


Don't get me wrong, I'm not discounting the famoso by any means. I'm just reporting my experience with the particular ONE (and only, so far) that I smoked ROTT. It was most certainly appealing enough to put away a box or two as I think in time these will develop very nicely. The vegetal notes, flattening and somewhat bitter finish suggested to me the need of some additional aging. But I could be wrong.

Let me ask you, do you think these just require some time or are the famosos usually good to go right off the bat?

-Ken


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## Sisyphus (Oct 9, 2005)

Wow. The *Montecristo #2* was unlike any cigar I'd ever smoked. After a rather rough start and twice having to snip more off the tip, the cigar soon hit its stride and delivered one of the finest, most sumptuous cigar experiences I've ever enjoyed. The aroma was distinctive and curiously addictive. Flavors hinted at crème brûlée, hazelnut and spice. I was surprised at the strength, of which it seemed to always have ample amounts in reserve. What I mean to say is, this was one helluva cigar.

The MC2 is thus tied for #1 best of all time along with the RASS (in my opinion, of course).

:tu:tu:tu:tu:tu

-Ken


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## avo_addict (Nov 29, 2006)

Sisyphus said:


> Wow. The *Montecristo #2* was unlike any cigar I'd ever smoked. After a rather rough start and twice having to snip more off the tip, the cigar soon hit its stride and delivered one of the finest, most sumptuous cigar experiences I've ever enjoyed. The aroma was distinctive and curiously addictive. Flavors hinted at crème brûlée, hazelnut and spice. I was surprised at the strength, of which it seemed to always have ample amounts in reserve. What I mean to say is, this was one helluva cigar.
> 
> The MC2 is thus tied for #1 best of all time along with the RASS (in my opinion, of course).
> 
> ...


You are lucky to have a Monte #2 that's on. A few that I've tried are disappointing. I am waiting for the others to get better. Agreed on the RASS that it is a good smoke.

Great selection of smokes, bro.


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